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Daily Archives: May 4, 2018

People everywhere throughout the world gather nutritional products from trees such as fruits, nuts, seeds, leaves, bark and even sap. Tree products have been an imperative part of the diets for thousands of years for natives of Australia, from early humans gathering fruits and nuts to the first cultivation of fruit trees.

Today, fruits and nuts such as apples, oranges, pistachios and Brazil nuts are eaten the world over and form the basis for a multimillion-dollar industry. At the local level, edible tree products are often highly valued by local Australian communities as a core part of their diet and as an important supplement to sustain them when food is scarce or when harvests are poor. This role as emergency food sources is particularly important and there are several examples of entire communities surviving periods of famine by collecting food from trees. This also makes it important to plant more trees in the neighbourhood, along streets, in parks and our own gardens.

Apart from providing food, trees not only beautify and add value to the whole suburb, they provide shade and clean the air as well. There are thousands of tree species both native and new ones that provide important food products, but some good examples include:

Dwarf Apple – This species is delicious and crunchy similar to their cold climate cousins. Dwarf apple trees are about 6 to 10 feet tall and will produce a crop in just 2 to 3 years. Not only this tree early to fruit, it also produces large yields. They are ideal for smaller yards and easy to maintain.

Blueberry Burst – The fruit is crisp fleshed and sweet and can be harvested over 3-4 months resulting in a constant supply of delicious and healthy fruit filled with antioxidants. It is an evergreen tree and bears large fruits. Harvest time is in August and September for cooler Melbourne gardens.

Dwarf Peach – This is white fleshed freestone variety and ideally suited to subtropics. The compact size of this variety makes it ideal to be grown in the backyard or as a potted specimen. The fruit can be harvested as early as two years after planting.

Black Walnut – The nuts are rich and flavourful, great for fresh eating and in baked goods. It requires minimal maintenance, can sustain at minus 30°. It is a great species to be grown in your backyards and streets. However, it needs another tree of the same variety for nut production.

So, these are few of the trees mentioned which provide food to the communities in Australia and if you are interested in growing fruit trees in your garden, there are few important guidelines you need to follow. The first is the site selection, fruit trees need sunlight and deep, fertile well-drained soil for proper growth. However, before you plant the trees ensure that the site you selected has no tree stumps nearby as it will hinder the growth. If any stumps are left call tree and stump removal service providers to clear up space. One of the prominent experts in this field is Daryl’s Tree Care & Surgery. They have certified arborists to remove the stumps and will also provide you tips on growing trees and their maintenance.